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Officials Clear Up Myths About Fireworks
An official with the Galesburg Fire Department says a lot of people may not be informed about just what is -- and isn't -- illegal in terms of fireworks in the city.

Fire Prevention Captain Dan Foley says essentially, most fireworks are illegal in the city, though there are some exceptions like sparklers, smoke bombs, and caps, among other things.

Foley tells WGIL he's had proof all too often that the fireworks some people have are illegal.

"We had a guy call, and say 'I just bought some bottle rockets.' I won't tell what city it was, but it was an Illinois city. And the guy promised me that they were legal in Illinois," Foley said. "I just had to tell them to go on the State Fire Marshal's website. Not only do they not list them as legal, they specifically mark them as illegal in the State of Illinois. So, there's a lot of misinformation out there."

Foley says while some fireworks like sparklers are legal in Galesburg, they are not allowed on public property, like Lake Storey, or any of the other city parks.

City officials say they get complaints all the time about a lack of enforcement of the city's fireworks ordinances, but they say simply that the police can't be everywhere, though violators face a $75 fine.


(You can see professionally-displayed fireworks like these Sunday Night at Lake Storey during Big Bang Boom 2010. WGIL News File Photo by Terry Cavanaugh.)
07 03 10 by Newsroom
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